The walls were too white. Lilly had never been in this room before. She sat in the middle of the conference room, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The air-conditioning was too cold, humming above her head, mechanical and constant, a sound she could no longer block out. The long glass table reflected her face, her red-rimmed eyes, the mess of hair she hadn't even realized she'd pulled loose.
Across from her sat Ms. Carter, the head of Human Resources, with a neat stack of papers in front of her and a tablet that blinked faintly with notes. Beside her, a younger woman typed quietly, recording every word that was said. The rhythm of the keys was sharp. Every click made Lilly flinch.
"Miss Levine," Ms. Carter began, her voice cool, even polite, "Thank you for coming. I understand this situation is stressful for you."
Lilly's throat was too dry to answer. She nodded weakly, her heart pounding loud enough to fill the silence between them.
